We interviewed the cast of Sister Act, Musicality’s upcoming production at Nottingham Arts Theatre. The musical follows Deloris, a lounge singer who finds herself placed in witness protection where she ends up in Queen of Angels Church. Here Deloris befriends the other nuns and helps to improve their singing, resulting in many catchy showtunes and a whole lot of laughter…
Cast:
Deloris – Adaeze Olugbemi
Mother Superior – Charlotte Mann
Sister Mary Pattrick – Emily Dervey
Sister Mary Robert – Amy Foden
Sister Mary Lazarus – Hannah Kitching
Sister Mary Teresa – Charlotte Howarth
Eddie Souther – Curtis Kane
Were you all involved in musical theatre before coming to Nottingham?
Emily – Literally nothing. I did one school play when I was 11 about evacuation in WW2, so not really!
Amy – I’d been in Stagecoach, an amateur dramatics group back home, and then came to Nottingham and got involved in all the musicals here.
Adaeze – This is my first involvement in Musicality at all and entry to that world, but I’ve been in one of the Medics musicals as well.
Charlotte H – I did musical theatre exams all through school and various productions there, but I started when I was really tiny.
Charlotte M – Again I’ve done a lot from a very young age – pretty much every school play going – but this is my first time being onstage in a Musicality show as I was musical director last year.
Curtis – I was in an amateur group for a couple years before uni and was in my school production of Hairspray as Seaweed, but I’m probably a novice compared to everyone else here!
Hannah – I only really did school plays before uni and then in Musicality I’ve mainly done stage management, but now it’s my final year I thought I’d actually be in a show this time!
In the whole rehearsal process, what’s been the hardest part?
Amy – Remembering the choreography – it’s brilliant and I love it but I don’t have that sort of brain. I enjoy it though!
Emily – Probably the words to the songs as you don’t often realize you don’t know it until you’re singing it through.
Adaeze – The time commitment for sure; you don’t realize how much goes into a show as it seems so effortless, but it requires a lot. It’s been 10-6 every Saturday and Sunday since October plus Tuesday evenings.
Charlotte H – You forget how big a commitment it is until you talk to other people!
What is your favourite number to perform?
Charlotte H – Raise Your Voice because it’s the first time all of the nuns come together. It’s a vocal extravaganza in 16 parts and it’s an amazing sound we produce together.
Curtis – My favourite is Sunday Morning Fever – I’m not the best at choreographed dancing so it really challenged me.
Do you get nervous before performing or have any pre-show rituals?
Emily – I don’t get nervous as I just get excited. You know everything so there’s no reason it would go wrong.
Hannah – It’s more the anticipation of how the audience will react rather than your performance itself as you want people to enjoy it.
Charlotte H – I have a goofy mantra that I say to myself of “You are enough” before I go onstage.
Curtis – I don’t really get nervous when I’m onstage as I’ve got the support of the cast around me, but if it’s me on my own then that’s quite daunting.
Charlotte M – I just eat loads before going on.
What’s your favourite part of being involved in Musicality?
Amy – It’s just so lovely as we’re all close friends and we’ve built a little family together.
Charlotte H – At school there aren’t many theatre kids about so when you come to uni, you suddenly find a group of weirdos just like you! If you start singing there will always be someone who joins in – with a harmony as well!
Lastly, what’s your favourite musical?
Charlotte H – That’s like picking a child! It depends on my mood, but right now Headers as it has my dream role in it.
Emily – Probably Rent – I saw it on tour last year and it was the best thing I’ve ever seen.
Hannah – Rent as well as it’s the one I always go back to, and the cast are incredible.
Amy – Miss Saigon – I did it when I was 16 so I’ll always have a special connection to it.
Charlotte M – It has to be Wicked; I think I’ve sung every song in that show!
Curtis – The first one that got me into musicals; Phantom of the Opera. And then Hamilton as well; of course!
Musicality’s Sister Act is showing at Nottingham Arts Theatre February 14th-17th. Tickets are £12.50 for adults and £10 for students and concessions.
Visit www.nottingham-theatre.co.uk for tickets